A new line of iMacs with ultra high-resolution Retina Displays is in late testing stages within Apple, according to our sources who have used the future desktop computer. While the machine will sport a thin profile similar to that of the current design, which was introduced in 2012, it will be packed with new internals such as faster processors and improved WiFi antennas. The fact that the iMac is in late testing indicates that Apple could be preparing to launch it alongside OS X Yosemite this fall…
The Retina iMac will mark Apple’s first foray into Retina desktop computers. Apple first launched the Retina display with the iPhone 4 in 2010, expanded it to the iPad in early 2012, and brought the screen to the Mac with Retina MacBook Pros in late-2012. As for the resolution of the new Retina iMac, OS X Yosemite betas include references to 6400 x 3600, 5760×3240, and 4096×2304 resolution screens. Apple has been rumored to be working on a 5K iMac display for launch later this year, so perhaps that’s the direction Apple will take, and a recently introduced DisplayPort standard update could make this a reality.
Sources also say that Apple is preparing updates to iMovie and Final Cut Pro with improved tools for editing high-resolution, 4K footage. We first reported this past summer that Apple is preparing to launch OS X Yosemite in October as it prepares new higher-resolution desktops and laptops. Apple is also working on a 12-inch Retina MacBook line, but that product’s launch timeframe seems to be in flux between later this year and sometime in the first half of 2015. Blogger Jack March, who has previously published accurate information, has separately heard that a 27-inch iMac model with 5K display is due this year.
If the 2012 Retina MacBook Pro launch was any indication, it’s likely that these Retina models will exist as higher-priced variants alongside the current non-Retina line, which was updated early this year. While all current signs indicate that a Retina iMac launch is fairly imminent, sources say that Apple tested a thicker Retina iMac in 2012 but ultimately tabled the launch due to a lack of panel supplies and pricing considerations. So perhaps there is a chance that type of delay could re-occur. Besides new Macs, Apple has new iPads with Touch ID sensors and A8 processors in the pipeline.
It’s likely that Apple will uncrate all (or the majority) of these future products together at a media event to take place in the next several weeks.
